


you know all i ever really wanted was a friend

by blasphemyincarnate



Series: i'd trade all my tomorrows for a single yesterday [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Asthma, Bad Influences, Extrovert, Extrovert meets Introvert, First Meetings, Flying Class, Gen, Hogwarts, Making Friends, Pre-Canon, Pre-Slash, Swearing, did you know my sister alice is pregnant, flight, friendships, it's pretty funny
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2019-06-21
Packaged: 2020-05-15 16:49:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19299793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blasphemyincarnate/pseuds/blasphemyincarnate
Summary: Percy sees Oliver fly for the first time - it's awe-inspiring. It's also how he meets his best friend and future fake-girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater.





	you know all i ever really wanted was a friend

**Author's Note:**

> title taken from bulow, Sweet Little Lies
> 
> 1987, Hogwarts

The first time Percy saw Oliver fly was, excuse the pun, a magical experience.

Charlie and Bill had always had an affinity and a love for the broom, and Percy just knew the rest of his siblings would too. But Percy, he’d never been like that. He’d see his brothers outside, playing a mock game of Quidditch, and he’d never been able to understand why. What was so alluring about an incredibly dangerous flying stick you could fall off of at any moment?

But seeing Oliver fly was something else. More than make him understand, it made him  _ want  _ to fly.

“Fuck, he’s good,” someone to his left said. Percy startled and turned, wide-eyed, to the blonde girl.

“You can’t say that!”

She glared right back, looking remarkably fierce for an eleven-year-old girl with wispy blonde hair in double braids. “I can say whatever I want.” And then she introduced herself as Penelope Clearwater, thank you very much, what’s your name?

In the span of half a minute, she’d already managed to shock Percy twice. “Um. Percy. Weasley.”

“Nice to meet you, Weasley,” she grinned, holding a hand out. He hesitantly shook her hand, not completely sure what had happened. 

“It’s. It’s nice to meet you, too, Penelope.” 

Penelope, still smiling, turned back to watching Oliver in the sky. She and Percy had picked up the brooms and not bothered to do anything else, as they were hidden in the back. Madame Hooch knew everyone in the back was a lost cause. She didn’t care about making them fly. Honestly, a flawed teacher, but.

“I’ve got no skill for flying,” Penelope said. “My sister, Alice, she tried to teach me. She’s really good at flying. I think she’s in a gang, too.”

The longer he talked to this girl, the more confused Percy got. “Um, good, good to know?”

“Not really good to know, but I guess you couldn’t say anything else without sounding rude. Alice taught me swear words, too. Mom says she’s a bad influence. They fight an awful lot. They’re fighting right now. She’s on suspension, did you know? Barely two weeks into school and she’s already suspended. I don’t know how it happens.” Penelope continued talking, but Percy decided tuning her out was probably a safe bet. His eyes went back to Oliver, who was still in the sky.

He  _ was  _ good, even if Percy wouldn’t use Penelope’s language to describe it. Oliver made being in the sky look as natural as breathing. Percy could never.

Well. Percy did have asthma.

Madame Hooch began calling for Oliver to come down. He did swoop down, exchanged a few words with a cheeky grin, soared back into the sky. It was fascinating. He’d probably be Quidditch captain. He’d probably make Puddlemere, too, the way he wanted. Anyone who was that good a flier was good at Quidditch. It was a fact of life.

“Alice and her boyfriend plan to get married right after they graduate, did you know? Probably a shotgun wedding. Honestly, I think she might already be pregnant-”

“Has anyone ever told you that you overshare?” Percy abruptly cut in. Penelope sure did talk a lot. She did pause at that though, and he worried for a moment he might’ve upset her.

Then she laughed.

“You are a wild card, Weasley. I didn’t take you for the sort. Let’s be best friends.”

She held out her hand again, and Percy glanced at it warily before slowly accepting.

Penelope smiled, bright as the sun. “Good to meet you, good to make friends, Percy.”

He smiled weakly back at her. Hopefully, Oliver would come down soon. Oliver would know how to talk to Penelope properly.

“Not much of a talker, are you? That’s alright, I talk enough for the both of us.”

Or, maybe Percy could learn. He smiled, a real one this time. “I’ll figure it out.”

In the background, Oliver finally came to the ground. He walked over to Percy and Penelope after reluctantly handing the broom back to Madame Hooch.

“Heya, Perce, who’s this?”

Penelope turned to him. “I’m Penelope Clearwater, it’s nice to meet you. Oliver Wood, right? Did you know, my sister Alice is pregnant?” She stage-winked as she said that.

And Percy, Percy began to laugh.

 


End file.
